If you want to call it “fickle” to leave the two-party system behind in favor creating a new political culture, call me fickle!

• 2010: Fight for fickle kids (By: Eamon Javers, Politico) Stanford University political science professor Morris Fiorina is convinced that both political parties haven’t yet grasped the scale of the change that’s happening in society. Republicans, he said, made the mistake of assuming that the divisions they exploited in the 2000-2004 elections were much deeper and more durable than they actually were — and were shocked by vote swings in 2006 and 2008 that would have seemed inconceivable in 2004. Not to mention, he said, “the emergence of Obama out of nowhere.”

PENNSYLVANIA

Independent-turned-Democrat Joe Sestak plans to challenge veteran Republican-turned Democrat Sen. Arlen Specter in the 2010 Pennsylvania Democratic primary.

• Senate candidates from opposite sides use same strategy against Specter (By Reid Wilson, The Hill) Whether it is the outlier result of a single poll or the harbinger of inroads to come, Toomey actually leads Specter by a 46-42 percent margin among independent voters in a Quinnipiac University survey. The poll was conducted July 14-19.
• Sestak ready to announce he’ll take on Specter (By Thomas Fitzgerald, Philadelphia Inquirer)
• Sestak Fires Back: Dem. Specter Makes Republican Swift Boat Attacks On Dem. Military Veterans (By Brian Beutler, TPM, July 9, 2009)

NEW JERSEY

Gov race: Dem Corzine vs. Repub Christie vs. independent Daggett

• NJ Gov: Internal (D) Poll Shows Corzine Down 7 (RealClearPolitics)
• Christie maintains lead over Corzine in poll (By Cynthia Burton, Philadelphia Inquirer) independent candidate Chris Daggett took 4 percent

NEW YORK

Special elections in NY are nonpartisan and therefore allow everyone to vote regardless of registration. They favor insurgents and independent candidates.

Goo-Goos To Paterson: Don’t Call 38th AD Special Election (Liz Benjamin, Daily News/Daily Politics)

For more independent news, see The Hankster, where the independents are…

What a difference a day makes…

ALBANY – Gov. Paterson, defying the liberal wing of his Democratic Party, has chosen little-known, NRA-backed, upstate Congresswoman Kirsten Gillibrand to succeed Hillary Rodham Clinton as New York’s junior senator, it was learned last night.

The surprising – and, for many Democrats shocking – decision to pick the conservative Gillibrand, 42, from Hudson in Columbia County, was disclosed by the governor in calls to party officials and some members of the state’s congressional delegation, many of whom said they were unhappy with the selection, sources said.

Gillibrand, a mother of two occasionally resented by colleagues for being an aggressive self-promoter, was strongly backed for the post by Charles Schumer, the state’s senior senator, who said a woman and an upstater was needed on next year’s ticket.

This pick seems to make more sense than Kennedy because a conservative Dem will be more in line with Hillary’s centrist politics. Also, the fact that it’s ruffled some feathers in Manhattan isn’t the worst thing in the world.

More as it develops…

It appears that Caroline Kennedy’s withdrawal from consideration for the open New York Senate seat had nothing to do with her uncle’s illness:

ALBANY — Problems involving taxes and a household employee surfaced during the vetting of Caroline Kennedy and derailed her candidacy for the Senate, a person close to Gov. David A. Paterson said on Thursday, in an account at odds with Ms. Kennedy’s own description of her reasons for withdrawing.

The account emerged 14 hours after Ms. Kennedy announced that she was taking her name out of contention for the Senate seat vacated by Hillary Rodham Clinton, and as Mr. Paterson, according to two well-placed Democrats told of his thinking, was leaning toward selecting Representative Kirsten E. Gillibrand, an upstate lawmaker in her second term in Congress.

Hard feelings toward Ms. Kennedy were clearly building among the governor’s staff on Thursday, after a dramatic evening in which she was reported to be dropping out, then wavering, then ultimately, shortly after midnight on Thursday, issuing a statement ending her candidacy.

The person close to the governor said Mr. Paterson “never had any intention of picking Kennedy” because he had come to consider her unready for the job. The person did not describe the exact nature or seriousness of the tax and household employee issues.

So, it would appear that Princess Caroline’s withdrawal had nothing to do with Uncle Ted’s illness, and everything to do with the fact that she knew she wasn’t getting the job.

As for the “tax and household employee issues,” my guess is we’re talking about hiring an illegal alien nanny and/or not paying the required withholding taxes for said nanny.

Because, you know, only the little people pay taxes.

Cross-posted at Below The Beltway

It’s been reported that Dame Caroline Kennedy has called New York Governor David Paterson and withdrawn from consideration for appointment to fill the Senate seat vacated today by Hillary Clinton. Supposedly, Kennedy doesn’t want the appointment any more, due to the poor health of her uncle, Senator Edward M. Kennedy. But Ted Kennedy has been very sick since the outset of the Lady of Camelot’s pursuit of the high office. More likely, Dame Caroline learned that the Governor intends to appoint someone else and was given time to gracefully withdraw and avoid further embarrassment.

 

Only two days ago, there were reports that Kennedy had the Senate seat sewed up.

 

In her brief mini-campaign, Dame Caroline failed abysmally to garner public support or to convince anyone other than close friends that she had any particular qualifications for the job, as I noted in a series of posts here, here, here and here.

 

Paterson has a long list of highly qualified Democrats from which to make his choice, including Long Island Rep. Steve Israel, Nassau County Executive Tom Sozzi, upstate Rep. Kirsten, Gillibrand, and Manhattan Rep. Carolyn Maloney.  I’m still betting that it will be Attorney General Andrew Cuomo for the reasons I outlined here. We’ll know in a couple of days.

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Prince Andrew Cuomo in a contemplative moment

“A son can bear with equanimity the loss of his father, but the loss of his inheritance may drive him to despair.”   -Niccolo Machiavelli

Within a few days, New York Governor David Paterson will appoint a successor to Hillary Clinton in the United States Senate. I’m going out on a limb to forecast that he will name state Attorney General Andrew Cuomo, not the person on whom all eyes have been trained for more than a month, Dame Caroline Kennedy (that’s a prediction, not necessarily a preference).

Like Dame Caroline, Prince Andrew regards the holding of high office as a matter of ordained privilege. Specifically, he almost certainly wants — and expects — to sit in the Governor’s chair once held by his father. He ran for Governor once and lost; then settled for Attorney General but only as a stepping stone; and is virtually certain to run for Governor again unless he gets a better offer.

And therein lies the problem for David Paterson. Paterson is an accidental Governor who will face a host of problems of the sort that make governors unpopular in the year or so leading up to the 2010 election when he’ll have to win a full term by himself. Ahead of him are deep cuts in state programs, tax increases, and constant battles with the state legislature, New York City and other local governments, and every constituency whose support he’ll desperately need.

The last thing David Paterson wants to face on top of all this is a Democratic primary waged by a smart, ambitious, well-known, well-financed and popular elected official who will have the luxury of being on the sidelines in all those fights over money. He’ll have a big enough challenge beating his Republican opponent, especially if the GOP manages to field a formidable candidate like Rudy Giuliani.

But a primary is just what he’ll get, if Andrew Cuomo is still Attorney General in 2010. By then, Prince Andrew will be, at 53, no longer a young upstart. He’ll have served in a President’s cabinet and in statewide office, and he’ll see himself pushing 60 or 65 when the next chance to move into the Governor’s office comes along. He’ll want his inheritance, so he’ll run.

On the other hand, Paterson could tap his shoulder and make him a Senator! That gets him out of Paterson’s way and, not incidentally, gives the New York Democratic ticket some added appeal to voters in 2010.

In a race against Rudy, running with Cuomo would give Paterson a strong boost. In recent weeks, the compelling logic of this appointment for Paterson was undermined by the unexpected push for Dame Caroline. Pressed by various Kennedy family members, Mayor Michael Bloomberg and others, none of whom hold David Paterson’s interests uppermost, the Kennedy boomlet picked up a lot of media-driven momentum for a while, then gradually deflated as the Lady of Camelot showed herself to be such a novice at politics and public affairs that she might lose the Senate seat in 2010, much less help Paterson and the Democratic ticket.

Voters have been paying attention as Kennedy embarrassed herself. Two new polls show New Yorkers prefer Cuomo to Kennedy for the Senate, with Kennedy having lost support since December.

In a new Quinnipiac poll released Wednesday, voters preferred Cuomo over Kennedy by 31% to 24%. This represented a sharp decline for Kennedy from a December 23rd poll — taken before she traveled the state and tried answering some reporters’ questions — when she edged Cuomo 33-29. Given that Kennedy almost totally monopolized media attention for a month, an even more significant result from this poll may be that 62% of voters who had choice picked someone other than Dame Caroline. Even more damaging is Quinnipiac’s finding that voters say, 48% to 37%, that Kennedy is not qualified to be a U.S. Senator.

A new Marist poll out Thursday paints a worse picture for Dame Caroline, with Cuomo beating her by an even larger margin, 40% to 25% among all New York voters and 39 to 31% among Democrats. That’s also a big decline for Dame Caroline from Marist’s survey a month ago, when the two were deadlocked 25-25. Marist also finds that many more New Yorkers believe Cuomo will do a good or excellent job as Senator. Kennedy has also lagged Cuomo in other recent polls.

Cuomo has played his cards carefully, avoiding any public acknowledgement of the fact that he was even seeking the Senate seat out of deference to Paterson. In contrast, Kennedy’s high-profile mini-campaign, in addition to revealing her deficiencies, was reported to have angered Paterson who understandably resented the effort to steamroll him on what may be the single most important political decision he makes before his 2010 candidacy.

Of course, the appointment is made by one person, Governor Paterson, who may not be moved by surveys of notoriously fickle voter opinion. But in light of the other, substantial reasons why a Cuomo pick would be better for Paterson, if I had any money (I am still waiting for my bailout!), I’d bet it on Prince Andrew.

(Visit me at The Purple Center)

Governor David Paterson has disclosed next to nothing about how he’s selecting a new senator. And that’s the problem.

Keeping the questions posed to Senate hopefuls secret appears to violate the state’s post-Watergate freedom of information laws, according to Robert Freeman, executive director of the state Committee on Open Government, the state agency that regulates enforcement of the good-government laws.

“How could it not be public? It’s a blank form,” said Freeman, a lawyer who since 1976 has been the top state employee advising government and the public on interpretation of the public officers’ law.

The names of those under consideration also should be disclosed, Freeman said.

Keeping the names secret is bad enough as it prevents the kind of public vetting I believe is necessary to ensure an acceptable choice. Keeping the questionnaire secret borders on paranoid. What is Paterson’s fear? That releasing the questions may open him up to criticism?

With the mess in Illinois, the unnecessary secrecy in New York and the chicanery in Delaware, isn’t it time we start asking if our states need to revise the way we replace senators? I know statewide elections are costly, but the current system employed by the states seems tailor-made to promote corruption. Immediate direct election of vacated Senate seats seems the only way to prevent the shenanigans we’ve seen over the last two months.

In Delaware, Joseph Biden is ascending to the Vice Presidency, and in an example of horse-trading so transparent that it apparently doesn’t even warrant comment, twisted the arm of the governor to appoint his senior aide to the seat with the more-or-less express intent of keeping it warm for his son in 2010. The appointee, Ted Kaufman, has never received a single vote and has never held elected or even public office and, as far as I’m aware, doesn’t even have any noteworthy experience in the private sector. He was appointed over other potential candidates like the sitting Lieutenant Governor, the sitting Secretary of State, a sitting state supreme court justice, and, presumably, every other previous or sitting elected official in the state of Delaware.

In New York, of course, it seemed very likely, at least until she botched her entrance into the field, that Governor Patterson, at least in part on direction from the Obama campaign, would appoint Caroline Kennedy. Kennedy has done some good work in her life, but again has eschewed public accountability, and I think precisely nobody denies that the #1 qualification which puts her into such strong contention is her recent role as being one of the President elect’s top surrogates and fundraisers. Again, it’s not that Governor Patterson has no options, but rather no imagination. The other two names being widely floated for the seat are Andrew Cuomo and, yes, Bill Clinton. Which would be mind-blowing considering he would be holding the seat of the lady who was only put into the seat for being married to him (though at least she got elected and thus deserved it). In any case, who says the American aristocracy is dead? I’m still holding out hope that Patterson does the right thing and nominates somebody not on the basis of horsetrading and favor-rewarding, but rather looks to an actual prominent public servant in New York who deserves the ascension (unlike, say, in Delaware, where that was apparently not even a consideration). In any case, the decision right now is who needs to be pleased, the Obama camp, the Clinton camp, or Patterson’s 2010 reelection camp. The people of New York are so far running a distant fourth.

In Colorado, Senator Ken Salazar is vacating to be Obama’s Secretary of the Interior. Yesterday, Governor Bill Ritter announced that his appointment to fill the seat to term will be…Denver Public Schools Superintendent Michael Bennet.

And a collective “who?” echoes throughout the rocky mountains.

However, the liberal netroots know what’s going on. As David Sirota writes here, there is only one area in which Ritter excels: he is the most well connected candidate to the big money donors in Colorado and beyond:

Considering his lack of legislative record, lack of experience in any elected or statewide office, and considerable ties to the biggest of big money, it’s logical to be concerned about how a Senator Bennet will vote on issues. Off the top of my head, I’m wondering, for instance, whether someone with this kind of resume is going to be in favor of tougher financial industry regulations?*
[...]
Colorado has no dearth of very, very qualified people to be U.S. Senator. More specifically, we have a lot of people who have worked very hard passing good public policy and building the grassroots of the Democratic Party for years here. Looking at this bench, and then selecting a person with almost none of those qualities confirms that what gets rewarded in politics today is not legislative accomplishments nor even political ones – what counts is money, inside connections, Ivy League pedigree and a Beltway-padded resume.

And then you have Illinois.

There, the controversial but innocent-until-proven-guilty governor apparantly rethought his standards and decided to go after a candidate who was the least offensive and most obviously squeaky clean and qualified candidate for the office possible. The Illinois legislature punted on holding a special election, despite their protestations that they wanted a fair process (when what they really mean is one in which they get to have their thumbs on the scales), so rather than leave Illinois with only one Senate vote for the foreseeable future, the governor went with a known public servant, a man who has made a career out of seeking public approval, a man with some pretty germane qualifications considering the context (a former Attorney General (i.e. anti-corruption crusader) and former Comptroller (i.e. bank regulator)), a man who would be the sole African-American in the Senate, and a man who, despite the most intense public scrutiny spotlight in America right now, precisely nobody can level a real accusation against. In other words, the man, given the circumstances, most qualified for the job.

So, four Senate vacancies. In one, literally a staffer is appointed to keep the seat warm for the Senator’s son. In another, it’s an ongoing battle of which high-profile election surrogate to reward for their loyalty. In the third, the trumping consideration was apparently in favor of the guy most connected to big money, at the expense of qualifications or experience. And in the fourth, the guy nominated was an unimpeachable public servant undeniably qualified for the job.

Now, the question:

Guess which one doesn’t get seated?

Cross-posted at The Crossed Pond

You know how I said Caroline was nearly a lock for this seat? Well, I think I’m going to have to eat those words. Public sentiment is starting to turn against her and if she doesn’t move quickly, the seat is gone.

(Hat tip: Politico.com)

Dame Caroline of Camelot finally sat down with several major media outlets over the past few days, presumably to counter growing criticism of her running away from questions and saying little or nothing about the issues that will come before the Senate she wants to join.

At her sit-down with The New York Times, she got testy about the questions she was asked.  Reactions in the rest of the media — print, broadcast and online — was, to be generous, less than enthusiastic.  New York Daily News columnist Michael Goodwin delivered this especially blunt assessment:

But a strange thing is happening on the way to the coronation. The wheels of the bandwagon are coming off. Fantasy is giving way to inescapable truth.

That truth is that Kennedy is not ready for the job and doesn’t deserve it. Somebody who loves her should tell her.

Her quest is becoming a cringe-inducing experience, as painful to watch as it must be to endure. Because she is the only survivor of that dreamy time nearly 50 years ago, she remains an iconic figure. But in the last few days, her mini-campaign has proved she has little to offer New Yorkers except her name.

The YouTube video above is actually the audio of portions of one of her interviews.  In a way, I wish it were different, but I’ve listened to hundreds of office seekers in my time and, IMHO, compared to many of them, Dame Caroline seems uninformed, uninterested, uninteresting, and at times incoherent.

Listen to it and judge for yourself.

(Visit me at The Purple Center)

Today, Henry Paulson urged Congress to release the second half of the $700 billion of the bailout money. But no one seems know what banks have done with the first $350 billion. Despite the fact that Congress wrote more than one hundred pages about oversight in the bailout bill, they left a gaping hole.

All of the content on ANP is available for free! If you like the piece, please feel free to post it on your blog, or replay on the radio or tv.

http://americannewsproject.com/videos/186

On Wednesday, New York’s Governor David Patterson unveiled a proposed $121-billion budget for next year, which includes a barrage or 88 new or higher taxes and fees to help close a $15.4-billion gap. Among the new revenue raisers are an “I-Pod tax” on downloaded music, sales taxes on cable and satellite TV, new taxes on movie tickets, taxi rides, beer, wine, cigars and massages, and my favorite, an “obesity tax” on sugared soda. So lay off the Coke, unless it’s sugar free. The Governor says it’s bad for you.

An astonishing number of otherwise sensible people have jumped in to agree with Patterson that the approximately 18% tax on Coke, Pepsi and Dr. Pepper with sugar is just what the doctor ordered so that New Yorkers can shed the zillion pounds of fat we’re carrying around.

New York Times columnist Nicholas Kristof opined instantly to the effect that sugary drinks are the new cigarettes. Whereas “some scholars believe they have become a major source of obesity,” he wrote, a daily dose of root beer will kill you dead. One such concerned scholar he relies on is — I could not make this up — “Barry Popkin, a nutrition specialist at the University of North Carolina and author of the excellent new book, ‘The World Is Fat’.”

Here’s the thing about all this: like millions of other Americans, I’ve been trying to lose — or keep off — some ugly, unwanted fat for years. But the number of sugared sodas I drank in the past three decades you could count on your fingers. I don’t need no damn Coke to stay fat! Give me ice cream, pasta, potatoes, fried chicken, candy, pie, cake, cookies, tarts, Danishes, bagels with cream cheese, ribs dripping with sauce, quiche, Big Macs, turkey with dressing, eggs benedict, more gravy, extra helpings — and I can manage to stay quite fat enough, thank you.

Thanks to Mayor Bloomberg, I already have to read the number of calories contained in every Starbucks muffin I buy. Now, the handwriting is on the wall:

– First they taxed Coke, and I said nothing, because I didn’t drink Coke.

– Then, they rationed donuts, and I said nothing, because I don’t like donuts.

– Then, they banned Big macs, and I said nothing, because I can live without McDonalds.

– Then, finally??? I dunno where it all ends.

But I’m getting hungry.  I need to go get a snack.

(Visit me at The Purple Center)

Kennedy actually answered a couple of reporters’ questions in a sidewalk press availability, after munching with Rev. Al at Sylvia’s, in contrast to her first foray as a candidate yesterday when she ran pell mell for her car to escape from inquisitive ink-stained wretches.

Governor David Patterson, who will appoint someone to fill Hillary Clinton’s seat in a month or so, disclosed that he has talked with Cuomo about the Senate spot, although he refused to say in so many words whether the former Governor’s son asked him for it.

Meanwhile, two statewide polls were released showing Kennedy and Cuomo running neck and neck in the opinion of the state’s voters, who unluckily have no say in the matter.  A Siena College survey had Cuomo edging the Camelot Princess 26% to 23%, while a new Marist poll has them tied at 25% a piece.  No one else scored above single digits although the combined total of those not choosing neither the heiress nor the heir amounted obviously to about half those surveyed.

The word circulating among some newsies is that Kennedy has the job, if she wants it.  Since she has said she does want it, though, it’s hard to see why Patterson is personally throwing Cuomo’s name out now, when he hadn’t before.  I still think it’s up in the air, although Patterson is getting a lot of public and private pressure to appoint Kennedy.

Why?  Because Kennedy in the Senate now is a plus for Patterson only in the sense that her presence on the ticket in 2010 might help Patterson win election to a full term against a tough opponent like Rudy Giuliani.  That’s nice, but leaving Andrew in the AG slot — and snubbing him in favor of his ex-cousin-in-law who has never held public office, run for anything, or even held much of any job — might well mean that Cuomo would challenge Patterson in a primary. Patterson is an accidental governor, beset by mountains of troubles. If you had to bet today who would win that primary, Cuomo would be the better bet.  Appoint him to the Senate and, presto, one of your biggest problems goes away.

Would Kennedy and her extended clan, political support infrastructure and fundraising machine be harnessed to help David vs. Andrew?  Maybe, but Patterson probably doesn’t believe in the tooth fairy either.

(Visit me at The Purple Center)

My lady of Camelot, I know I speak for all respectable persons residing in the outer provinces when I say how deeply shocked we are by the offensive manner in which your ladyship was received by that pack of louts who badgered you with impertinent questions during your progress through those parts. I hope you will not think me too bold if I say that such wretches — my goodness, not one of them had the self-respect to wear a decent suit of clothes — should learn how to behave in the company of their betters. Your exceptional grace and bearing were at all times on display throughout this trial, a testament to the greatness of your noble family.

That big ruffian, the one with the loud voice who fairly shouted at your ladyship, particularly ought to get a good thrashing, and many’s the decent stout fellow, I’m sure, even in the outer provinces, would be delighted to give the villain what for, if you don’t mind my saying, my lady.

I know I am probably speaking out of turn, my lady, but rest assured that the common folk — the decent, respectable common folk — are not the least interested in prying into your ladyship’s opinions about the economy, taxes, the environment, health care, wars and all such matters of state, which are properly none of our business. Those are matters for your ladyship to concern herself with. I feel bound to say that the good citizens of this fair realm feel a deep bond of loyaty to your ladyship and trust implicitly that these great affairs will be in capable hands.

I am especially taken aback by the inquisitiveness of those low persons about your views on the various local farming and industrial affairs of the outer provinces. Surely no great personage such as your ladyship can be expected to be mistress of all such folderol.

Thank you so much, my lady, for enduring so much on our behalf with your usual grace and bearing. Whenever you plan another progress through such remote and rustic settlements as Utica, Watertown and, heaven help us, Horseheads, please don’t hesitate to call upon me, your humble servant.

(Visit me at The Purple Center)

She doesn’t want to be involved in the “Stop Caroline” campaign in any way, and she’s making that crystal clear.

From Politico:

Prominent Clinton supporters, including Rep. Anthony Weiner (D-N.Y.), union leader Stuart Applebaum and fundraiser Robert Zimmerman, recently expressed skepticism about the choice, suggesting that Clinton’s supporters would see naming Kennedy — a crucial Obama backer — as a slight.

All three “were told that their comments weren’t appreciated, and that if they have a candidate they prefer that is motivating their comments and actions, they need to make that crystal clear so that nobody thinks we’re behind it,” said a person close to the replacement talks.

Clinton is focused on her transition to the State Department, people close to her say, and being seen as meddling in the Senate choice would likely make her more enemies than friends.

“Sen. Clinton completely respects the privacy of his process so will not be commenting on it or any individual candidate, nor does any third party speak on her behalf,” said her spokesman, Philippe Reines.

By the way, wasn’t it Hillary who came to New York after having never lived there and used her celebrity to win the Senate seat?

Hello Senator Kennedy.

Oh, thank you, my lady of Camelot. I know I speak for all of your loyal subj…er…supporters in New York when I say how pleased we are that you have seen fit to govern us, as indeed, you should. Yes, we mark ourselves as fortunate to have one of your noble grace and bearing willing to put aside the many heavy burdens of your charitable and other good works and take up the far weightier cause of championing the needs of us common folk — whatever they may be from time to time — as did your father and uncles and cousins and in-laws and grandfathers and so many others of your great and distinguished family.

My lady, I hope you won’t think me too bold if I suggest that it is fitting — yes, fitting — that you should go straightaway into the Senate without troubling yourself with any of those boring and tiresome lowly labors that are truly meant for others — those who, how shall I say, simply lack my lady’s noble grace and bearing — like that prickly fat fellow in Congress or that pleasant upstate woman.

Oh, I know these people must be rewarded appropriately for all their toil and loyalty, and I’m sure a lady of such noble grace and bearing as yourself would not dream of depriving them of their rightful places. But after all is said and done, Maloney, Weiner, Ackerman and all the rest have risen a good deal higher than any of them had a right to presume, lacking as they do the greatness and distinction of a Kennedy. I also must dare to say to you, my lady, that young Andrew is also, how do the French say it, an arriviste — and a bounder as well, as I’m sure you know from Miss Kerry. But there I go, speaking out of turn.

If you don’t mind my saying so, my lady, that Lowey woman did conduct herself nicely for a person of her sort, what with standing aside for Dame Hillary and now showing proper deference to my lady. While she only did what was proper, I think we would all say, “here, here,” if my lady were to give her a jolly good word of thanks — that is, if you don’t mind my saying so, my lady.

What was it your father said? I think it went something like, “Ask not what you can do for New Yorkers, but what New Yorkers can do for you?” Or was that your uncle?

Well, in either case, God bless him. And God bless you, my lady. We are so thrilled that you have deigned to become our next Senator. That’s especially true, may I say, my lady, of those of us who are, like your ladyship, Irish Catholics. And pardon me if I take a bit of liberty in saying that your ladyship is truly as Irish as paddy’s pig and as Catholic as the Pope, and there’s no one can deny it, not God Himself.

Please don’t hesitate to call on me if I can perform any small service for my lady.

(Visit me at The Purple Center)

It’s official. She wants it.

And frankly, it could be refreshing to have somebody who hasn’t been a diehard political operative in that seat.

From Politico:

Her move raises the pressure on New York Governor David Paterson either to choose her or to select someone else soon, as Kennedy’s rivals for the seat have already begun to respond to the possibility of her entrance by raising questions about her qualifications and her role in defeating Clinton. But she’s a close ally of President-elect Barack Obama, and Paterson is not particularly indebted to the Clintons.

She’s also reportedly hired a political consultant, Josh Isay, close to Chuck Schumer; his presence indicates that Schumer — a key player here — at least doesn’t object to Kennedy’s bid.

That news about Schumer is important because he probably has a ton of pull when it comes to this pick too.

However, she’s facing some internal opposition because of her “superstar” status and support of Obama early on…

“This isn’t a jihad or anything, but I’d be lying to you if I said that supporters of Hillary don’t remember where she was in the primary,” said Democratic Rep. Anthony Weiner, a possible mayoral candidate who is close to the former first lady.

A senior Democrat said Clinton supporters had expressed their resentment over a possible Kennedy pick to people around Paterson, and that tacit resistance has opened the door to other members of the congressional delegation to violate party taboos and directly criticize a Kennedy.

“I don’t know what Caroline Kennedy’s qualifications are, except that she has name recognition, but so does J.Lo,” another Queens congressman, Gary Ackerman, quipped during a radio interview Monday. “I wouldn’t make J.Lo the senator unless she proved she had great qualifications, but we haven’t seen them yet.”

Manhattan Rep. Carolyn Maloney, who has hired a one-time Paterson consultant to lobby for the Senate appointment, was overheard complaining about Kennedy’s “complete lack of experience” to friends on the floor of the House on Wednesday, according to a member who was within earshot.

My question…is Hillary against Caroline? It seems like once you lose you just have to accept that the person who won has far more leverage and work with them instead of holding grudges. Hillary’s move to Foggy Bottom shows that this is probably her state of mind, so why hasn’t that POV translated to her supporters?

Still, with Edward Kennedy actively pushing Caroline, my guess is that she’s a lock for this position.

More as it develops…

Caroline Kennedy, the daughter of an American political dynasty, has decided she will pursue the U.S. Senate seat being vacated by Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton, a person told of her decision said Monday.

The decision came after a series of deeply personal and political conversations, in which Ms. Kennedy, whom friends describe as unflashy but determined, wrestled with whether to give up what has been a lifetime of avoiding the spotlight.

Ms. Kennedy will ask that Gov. David A. Paterson consider her for the appointment. The governor was traveling to Utica today could not immediately be reached for comment.

If appointed, Ms. Kennedy would fill the seat once held by her uncle, the late Robert F. Kennedy.

Ms. Kennedy has been making calls this morning to alert political figures to her interest.

Ms. Kennedy’s decision is likely to have a major impact on the governor’s considerations as he mulls who should succeed Mrs. Clinton. Already, some other Democrats have pointedly questioned her credentials for the job. Rep. Gary Ackerman, a Queens Democrat, said last week that he didn’t know what Ms. Kennedy’s qualifications were, “except that she has name recognition — but so does J. Lo.”

But others, including Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg have praised her abilities.

Ms. Kennedy first telephoned the governor Dec. 3 to inquire about the job, but Mr. Paterson described that conversation as “informational” and said it was clear Ms. Kennedy had not decided whether she wanted to pursue the position.

But since, then, she has begun reaching out to key political figures in New York, such as Sheldon Silver, the speaker of the state Assembly, and State Comptroller Thomas P. DiNapoli. She has also hired Knickerbocker SKD, a prominent political consulting firm headed by Josh Isay, a former chief of staff to Sen. Charles Schumer, to advise her.

With this announcement and what appears to be the support of some key political figures in New York, it’s going to be pretty hard for Patterson to choose someone other than Kennedy at this point. To do so would likely be seen as a slap in the face of someone who is fairly well-regarded outside the political realm in New York, and, given how weak Patterson is politically (there’s a good possibility that he could lose the Democratic primary in 2010), it would not be to his benefit.

Nonetheless, I still think that this assessment is largely correct:

If Paterson were to make his decision based solely on the competence and experience, it’s fairly clear that Kennedy would not be a serious candidate for office. She’s less qualified than Attorney General Andrew Cuomo, Congresswoman Carolyn Maloney, or any other of the people supposedly on Paterson’s “short list” for the Senate seat.

The difference is that, unlike Kennedy, none of these candidates possesses a last name that causes Democrats to genuflect as if they’re talking about God. The fact that she has less political experience than Sarah Palin doesn’t matter, because she’s a Kennedy.

Paterson may well pick Kennedy, but let’s not delude ourselves into thinking that he’s doing it for any reason other than the fact that she happens to have the same last name as a dead President.

Not to mention all the arguments against the extension of dynastic politics.

But, like I said, she’s a Kennedy, and the New York Democrats are likely to get quite orgasmic over the prospect of having one of those in their ranks again.

Cross-posted at Below The Beltway

Maybe they want Andrew Cuomo instead?

And to the point of liberals being a bit too vocal too early, here’s Steve Hildebrand about this today…

This is not a time for the left wing of our Party to draw conclusions about the Cabinet and White House appointments that President-Elect Obama is making. Some believe the appointments generally aren’t progressive enough. Having worked with former Senator Obama for the last two years, I can tell you, that isn’t the way he thinks and it’s not likely the way he will lead. [...] After all, he was elected to be the president of all the people – not just those on the left.

As a liberal member of our Party, I hope and expect our new president to address those issues that will benefit the vast majority of Americans first and foremost. That’s his job. Over time, there will be many, many issues that come before him. But first let’s get our economy moving, bring our troops home safely, fix health care, end climate change and restore our place in the world. What a great president Barack Obama will be if he can work with Congress and the American people to make great strides in these very difficult times.

In other words, CHILL OUT. Obama hasn’t even been inaugurated yet.

Jeezus…

She has said she wasn’t interested numerous times, but I can’t help but think that getting into the family business at this time in history is too attractive to pass up.

From ABC:

The crazy speculation about Hillary Clinton’s Senate seat may not be so crazy after all. A Democrat who would know tells ABC News that New York governor David Paterson has talked to Caroline Kennedy about taking the seat, which was once held by her uncle, Robert F. Kennedy. It’s not exactly shocking that Paterson would reach out to one of the most highly respected public figures in New York, but this is: Sources say Kennedy is considering it, and has not ruled out coming to Washington to replace Hillary Clinton in the Senate.

A few years ago, the famously private Caroline Kennedy would be the last Kennedy expected to serve in Congress, but of course, she took on a much more high-profile role during the presidential campaign and, if she does it, would be more than New York’s junior Senator; she’d have closer ties to the Obama White House than any of her colleagues, a direct line to the East Wing.

When Robert Kennedy, Jr. took himself out of the running for the seat earlier this week, he told Jonathan Hicks of the New York Times, “Caroline Kennedy would be the perfect choice if she would agree to it.” And one more thing: We hear that President-elect Obama has made it clear that he thinks Caroline Kennedy would be a great choice.

NBC also weighs in and confirms she spoke with Patterson and says she’s interested.

As of right now, if I had to place a bet, I think she’s a lock for this seat.